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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".